Triathlon breakthrough for Aussie men

TRIATHLON: It was a breakthrough day for Australian men’s triathlon in Auckland on Sunday when Aaron Royle claimed his first ITU World Triathlon Series
podium – claiming bronze on the tough Auckland
course.

But he had
to stave off some brave running from team mates Dan Wilson (fourth) and Ryan
Bailie (fifth) after the three Aussie men staged a neck and neck charge for
the podium.

It was the
first time Australia has
ever had three of the top five in a WTS race and marked a major break through
in Triathlon Australia’s
High Performance program under Performance Manager Bernard Savage.

Royle’s
fellow Commonwealth Games representative for Glasgow 2014 Emma Moffatt ran on into seventh in
the women’s race with London Olympian Emma Jackson 11th and Ashleigh
Gentle 20th.

“It was
certainly a break through day for our men and very pleasing indeed for the
three boys and their coaches Jamie Turner (Royle and Bailie) and Steve Moss (Wilson),” said Savage.

“It shows
that all the work that has been done with those boys is starting to pay off and
I’m confident it will have a positive effect on our other boys as well, showing
them what they can achieve. They still have a long way to go but it is a very
positive start to the season. There is no doubt it was a very exciting day all
round.”

After what
Wilson described as “a real bar fight” it was Royle who made a happy return to
the scene of his 2012 Under 23 ITU World Championship triumph who timed his
run to perfection to finish with the bronze medal behind ITU World champions
Javier Gomez from Spain and Jonathan Brownlee of Great Britain.

“To win my
Under 23 worlds here was a pretty special day and to get my first WTS podium
here as well makes it pretty special,” said Newcastle-born, Wollongong-based
Royle.

“To be
honest I felt pretty ordinary on the bike, I had been training pretty well but
to get out there today I was feeling pretty ordinary.

“I guess I
thought it wasn’t going to be my day but when I got on to the run and found my
running legs and saw that the podium was definitely there to take, I dug deep
in the last kilometre to hold on.

“I am
pretty confident in my sprint; that’s how I won my world title. My training
partner Ryan Bailie surged with about one kilometre to go and I got on to him
and Dan Wilson got on to the back of me.

“With about
400 to go Dan tried to go to the lead and I knew if I just stuck with them and
opened up with about 100 to go that was my best chance and that’s what
happened.

“It was a
great day for Australian males; it has been a while since we’ve has had some
decent male performances and I don’t think we have ever had three in the top
five of the WTS so and it’s good to show that the talent coming through in
Australia is pretty good.

“The work
that we are doing is paying off; Ryan and I have both been improving over the
years and hopefully we can keep going and continue to take the Aussie boys in
an upward direction.”

For South
African born former Western Australian turned Wollongong Wizard Bailie, his
fifth place was his best ever performance.

“I had a
couple of top 10 finishes last season so I’m very happy with the place. I just
ran out of legs in the end to get on the podium. I had a decent swim to set the
race up nicely and in the end I left it all out there,” said Bailie.

It was a
satisfying comeback for Brisbane
boy Wilson who has had a frustrating three years with injury but has climbed
back under QAS head coach Stephen Moss.

“It was a
bit of a bar fight; there was carnage the whole way; the swim was quick, the
bike just keeps coming at you with all those hills and we shed a few there,”
said Wilson.

“With the pace
on the bike and we had a good gap on to the run and as it developed there were
three Aussies having a good old fashioned running dual out there; it was good
fun and I’m really happy with the fourth place - without doubt my best ever
result.

“I’ve had a
couple of tough years with injury and it’s been a long road back and there’s
been a lot of self doubt there at times.

“But to come
back and get a result like this is really, really satisfying."

And
regarding Commonwealth Games selection? Wilson said: “We just had to put the results
on the board and all we can do is sit back and wait and see.”

Moffatt,
who like Royle has already locked away her Glasgow place, was satisfied with her
seventh, surprising herself on the bike in a red hot women’s field.

“I had a
reasonably good swim and I surprised myself on the bike. I actually didn’t
think I was going to make up those hills but I did,” said Moffatt.

“My running
was a big shaky at the start but I came home pretty strong and in the end I was
pretty happy with my seventh.

“The bike
sorted a few of us out and you had to work hard no matter where you were in the
pack.

Stephanie Gilmore has won the Oi Rio Women’s Pro, Stop No. 4 on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), after a massive day of competition in four-to-five foot (1.2 - 1.5 metre) surf at Itaúna Beach in Saquarema.

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